The Strange Library: Haruki Murakami

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However, it’s not that simple. There are also hallucinogenic suggestions and questions over narrator reliability. Is it magic or is it a dream? Either way, I don’t consider this story suitable for children. It’s about a child but it is undeniably dark and adult in its theme and complex in its construction and delivery. There's much more here than the surface suggests. Brendon, I am quite aware of that fact. You have yet to finish Century Rain. But you are close to finishing and I wanted to make you a proposal. I would like you to come to our laboratory and read Murakami's new novel in our new instrument. Doctors Sato and Kato have been working very hard on getting it ready. And we would compensate you for your time of course." The Strange Libraryis a subteen’s No Exit. . . . Beautifully designed. . . . Perfect for coffee tables in the gladsome season. . . . Readers looking for a light diversion in a heavily loaded holiday season should enjoy this existential vision.”— The Miami Herald The Strange Library is a subteen's No Exit. . . . Beautifully designed. . . . Perfect for coffee tables in the gladsome season. . . . Readers looking for a light diversion in a heavily loaded holiday season should enjoy this existential vision." -- The Miami Herald A fine small work -- whose reading is likely strongly colored depending on which illustrated version the reader has.

The Strange Library - Wikipedia

In November 2014 The Strange Library was published in Japan by Shinchosha with illustrations by Kat Menschik [6] Several editions then appeared in translation, including the ones listed below. [7] [8] Editions in Translation [ edit ] Language Edgar Allan Poe, an author who came to mind at times when I was reading The Strange Library, says that a short story is one that can be read in a single sitting, and most readers will manage to finish this book accordingly. Yet, like Poe’s own stories, many shorts also demand to be reread, and this is the case with Murakami’s tale, as well. The story is set pre-Google, and it should probably be read as if Kindles and audio books don't exist either. In February 2005 an illustrated edition of The Strange Library appeared in Japanese (図書館奇譚 toshokankitan, published by Kodansha). This was then republished in January 2008 as a Kodansha Bunko edition. The illustrations are by Maki Sasaki. [5] The Strange Library (2014 editions) [ edit ]The Strange Library" is a fairy tale-like novella about a boy who gets lured into a labyrinth in the basement of his public library. The library's labyrinthine structure is a nod to Jorge Luis Borges' The Library of Babel. Labyrinths were a common theme of Borges' work. The manner in which the protagonist is imprisoned is reminiscent of Franz Kafka's The Trial. As it happens, Kafka is a regular feature in Murakami's work and hard-coded influence in his writing. The illustrations are beautiful, very varied, only loosely related to the text, and mostly copied from books in the ancient London Library ( http://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/). I recently attended a friend's birthday dinner there; it was a strange juxtaposition of enjoyments.

The Strange Library - Ljudbok - Haruki Murakami - Storytel The Strange Library - Ljudbok - Haruki Murakami - Storytel

I can feel the fear, the uncertainty, the relationship with the strangeness of reality, the unexpected inevitable turn of events and some memories that would never leave.No doubt there is symbolic meaning in the sheep man and the voiceless girl. Perhaps they represent parts of himself. I have not read Murakami’s other novels, so I do not know how the bird, the sheep man, and other motifs figure in his oeuvre. But I too have my dream motifs. I am no stranger to labyrinths. They are a standard feature of my dreams along with winding staircases and hidden rooms. Those who come to Mr. Murakami’s work for the first time will be elated by the clarity and wit of his style as translated by Ted Goossen, and intrigued by his characters and the situations they face. The Strange Library . . . stays in the mind because of its combination of brutality with flippancy, but mostly for its oddness. . . . In its own odd way it is a fun read.”— Washington Times As with any text by Murakami, characters with the most peculiar of traits and personalities occupy centre stage: the assistant of the old man whose sheepskin costume wins him the denomination of Sheep Man 🐑; the voiceless Girl🚶‍♀️who is as breath-taking as she is effervescent (possessing the quality of an apparition), the kid's starling 🐦 (personified and elevated to a sacrificial token of faithfulness). Ever since his works became famous, there has been a debate going on in literary circles about whether Murakami is writing 'pop' or 'literary' fiction. Multiple literary experts have put forward interesting opinions regarding it. Even though there has been a debate regarding the genre in which he is writing, there won't be any debate regarding his book's acceptance and the love the literary community shows towards them.